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  • #22
I only grow lowland species. The setup is pretty easy and cheap that I've got if you're interested. Basically its just a grow rack from lowes with a humidifier and a 4 ft, 4 tube HO T5 and a big tray in the bottom to catch the water that drips down the walls of the tent that covers the grow rack I get 90F days and 70F nights and about an 85-100% humidity
 
  • #23
Just an update...

Left the greenhouse door open today, and before I left home, I made sure the swamp cooler was all the way full. It came on at 12:00, and it kept the humidity at 60%, and it raised to nearly 80% after wetting down the floor.

The pitchers that were getting wilty are still wilty. They fix themselves after about 7:00 PM and wilt the next day... Not sure why. The temperature was a much more manageable 80F today, the temperature last night was 52F... They were kept incredibly wet today, the sphag didn't dry out. So I really have no clue what is happening. Maybe the shock of being moved from low light to high light? I noticed the new leaves on most of the plants were lighter than the last ones, and on the ventrata they're even tainted yellow, but not too much.

So I guess the problem is temperature now. It doesn't look like it would be a long job, just cut a hold and put tape around it. I may be able to do that today even.
 
  • #24
You do realize it takes several MONTHS for Nepenthes to adapt fully?
 
  • #25
Pineapple: Make sure the thermostat you buy handles the power your swamp cooler draws. Also cheap thermostats often means cheap quality. Do you really want a $40 thermostat controlling the fate of your pricey nepenthes collection?

I would recommend a Johnson A419. They're on the cheaper end price wise, but handle a good amount of wattage (1000 I think) and are easy to set up. You can also set the temperature differential low meaning you will use less power to cool your greenhouse.
 
  • #26
You do realize it takes several MONTHS for Nepenthes to adapt fully?

Yeah, I've been told. In my mind, if it were an issue of still acclimating to the conditions, they would have wilted pitchers all the time, not just during the day. I'm not very experience with Nepenthes yet, only been into this for five months. This is my first time hardening off neps...

Pineapple: Make sure the thermostat you buy handles the power your swamp cooler draws. Also cheap thermostats often means cheap quality. Do you really want a $40 thermostat controlling the fate of your pricey nepenthes collection?

I would recommend a Johnson A419. They're on the cheaper end price wise, but handle a good amount of wattage (1000 I think) and are easy to set up. You can also set the temperature differential low meaning you will use less power to cool your greenhouse.

Thanks! I'll look into the A419. I'll try to find a place around here that carries them so I can check them out in person and get a feel for what I would need to do to hook it up. Doesn't look too pricey. :)
 
  • #27
During the night when it's cooler and more humid the plant is under less stress so they can recover from an internal moisture deficit (code name - wilting)... provided it isn't overly severe and the plant has healthy roots able to take up water from the root zone.
 
  • #28
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Thanks! I'll look into the A419. I'll try to find a place around here that carries them so I can check them out in person and get a feel for what I would need to do to hook it up. Doesn't look too pricey. :)

They usually don't come wired, but usually if you ask nicely the seller will wire them for you, only takes them 5 minutes. Once it's wired they are quite easy to set (manual helps a lot the first time) then plug your swamp cooler in and your ready to go.

One thing to also confirm is that your cooler will turn back on after the power has been cut from it as this is all the thermostat is doing. Most digitally controlled appliances don't do this, but dial type ones (assuming yours is) turn back on no problem.
 
  • #29
During the night when it's cooler and more humid the plant is under less stress so they can recover from an internal moisture deficit (code name - wilting)... provided it isn't overly severe and the plant has healthy roots able to take up water from the root zone.

What would cause internal moisture deficit? They are all being kept pretty wet because I have to heavily mist the live sphagnum on them in the morning and at night to keep it from drying out. They more certainly do have enough water. Is the water evaporating from their leaves faster than the roots can draw it up?

---------- Post added at 04:53 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:52 PM ----------

One thing to also confirm is that your cooler will turn back on after the power has been cut from it as this is all the thermostat is doing. Most digitally controlled appliances don't do this, but dial type ones (assuming yours is) turn back on no problem.

Mine is dial. I've turned the circuit off and on and it comes right back on, so that's not a problem. I can also wire it myself... Or rather, I know somebody who is actually an electric engineer and they will do it for me. :-O
 
  • #30
Is the water evaporating from their leaves faster than the roots can draw t up

Yes essentially. Why, because the leaves and pitchers that formed on the plant prior to being placed in the greenhouse were adapted for whatever environment they grew in. Also the root system forms in conjunction with the leaf growth to sustain it at whatever moisture uptake rate is needed. If the plant is in a less stressful, more humid, lower light, cooler temperature range not as much water uptake is necessary for a healthy plant. When you change the conditions so that more water uptake is necessary to prevent wilting the current root system is not large enough to handle the increased demand. You can keep it as wet as you want but there simply isn't enough root mass there to meet the demand. Which is why it takes MONTHS to adapt. New leaves will handle the harsher environment better which will reduce transpiration loss. New roots will grow to meet the increased demand for water uptake. etc etc etc...

If the pitchers are dry inside you can add some water to help the plant with an extra source of moisture. If all you are seeing is a little pitcher wilting during the day then I wouldn't be too concerned. By the time the plant makes new pitchers they will be ready to handle the new environment. If you start to see leaf wilting then it's more serious.
 
  • #31
Yes essentially. Why, because the leaves and pitchers that formed on the plant prior to being placed in the greenhouse were adapted for whatever environment they grew in. Also the root system forms in conjunction with the leaf growth to sustain it at whatever moisture uptake rate is needed. If the plant is in a less stressful, more humid, lower light, cooler temperature range not as much water uptake is necessary for a healthy plant. When you change the conditions so that more water uptake is necessary to prevent wilting the current root system is not large enough to handle the increased demand. You can keep it as wet as you want but there simply isn't enough root mass there to meet the demand. Which is why it takes MONTHS to adapt. New leaves will handle the harsher environment better which will reduce transpiration loss. New roots will grow to meet the increased demand for water uptake. etc etc etc...

If the pitchers are dry inside you can add some water to help the plant with an extra source of moisture. If all you are seeing is a little pitcher wilting during the day then I wouldn't be too concerned. By the time the plant makes new pitchers they will be ready to handle the new environment. If you start to see leaf wilting then it's more serious.

No leaves wilting, so its all good. :)

I cut a hole in the panel and made a duct ghetto-style from foil tape. I'll post pictures soon. Seems to be working. Just finished ten minutes ago, not hot outside anymore. I'll test it out tomorrow. :)
 
  • #32
Yesterday it was 85F in the greenhouse with the door open and the swamp cooler on high. 60% humidity. Closed the door, and within 15 minutes it was down to 80F and 70% humidity, which will be much more manageable for everything I'm keeping I suppose. Today it's supposed to be over 90F, so I'll see how it goes. Hopefully it will keep it around 85F, that would be perfect.

11b6pue.jpg


5a0wux.jpg


VIDEO OF THE SETUP: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0Y-PpefdV4
 
  • #34
How'd it go?

It goes really well. The time when its in full sun is like 12:00 to 4:00, and I have the swamp cooler set to come on at 11:30. It keeps it about 80F in there. I left the door closed all day on the 90F day because I was out and it got to like 82F or something. Pretty chilly. :)

I left the swamp cooler in the off position so it couldn't come on today. 90F inside the greenhouse lol. Ultrahighlanders are all good. The boschiana x mira that was having issues... That one pitcher... It turned black (it was like two months old), but the other pitcher it has kept its lid held high with no wilting through to 90F day. Since I had the door closed, it was 50% humidity in there, so that may have helped. My vogelii stopped wilting too. It happened when I made the day humidity about 60-70% and 90% at night...

Thank you so much to everyone who helped me out with this problem! Especially Tony! Cutting the hole in the back of that panel was probably the easiest thing I could have done and it works so well! :boogie:
 
  • #35
Glad to hear things are improving. Each greenhouse situation often requires it's own bit of tinkering because there are so many factors involved which can affect the environment within the greenhouse. No setup is exactly the same for different individuals.
 
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